This invention relates to trunk groups connecting telecommunication switches supporting both wireless and wireline traffic.
Currently some telecommunication switches can support cellular traffic as well as wireline services. When telecommunication switches have this type of capability, they are often referred to as having a Landline Cellular Option (LCO). An example of this type of switch is a Lucent 5ESS-2000 switch. Currently, trunk groups supporting LCO switches can carry either cellular traffic or wireline traffic, but not both. When the trunk group is placed into service, the trunk type (wireless or wireline) is assigned. This trunk group assignment is used to determine the application code for incoming and outgoing calls on each trunk group. Therefore, wireless and wireline traffic routing through the telecommunication switch must be separated and carried on a specific trunk group supporting the traffic type. Within the switch itself, loop around trunks connect the wireless and wireline components creating inefficient use of switch resources and a double handling of each call.
A need exists for trunk groups that can carry both wireless and wireline traffic and that provides a mechanism for determining whether an incoming call is a wireless or wireline call on a per call basis. Solving this problem would minimize administrative overhead, duplicative call handling by elimination of the loop around trunks, and maximization of executing the correct software code based on the wireless/wireline determination.
In addition, a need exists to provide a service provider with the ability to process both wireless and wireline applications for tandem, toll, business or residential services on the same switch and trunk groups. By providing shared trunk groups, the service providers would not require the local exchange carriers or the interLATA exchange carriers to split the traffic between wireless and wireline trunks coming into their system, or worse, tandem all wireless call through the wireline portion of the switch to separate the traffic if the connecting service provider lacks the capability to separate the traffic.
Another problem is that wireless and wireline traffic peak at different times during the day. Having trunk groups that carry both wireless and wireline traffic, would allow the peaks to offset lower usage and would maximize network resources.
The capability of carrying cellular and wireline traffic on the same trunk groups is accomplished by performing incoming call routing analysis on the incoming call to determine if the call is intended for wireless applications or for wireline applications on the network. The results of the incoming call routing analysis form the basis for determining those actions necessary to process the call. If the incoming call is wireless, the wireless related application code is executed, the mobile switching center controller is notified of the incoming call, and the mobile switching center waits for directions. If the incoming call is a wireline call, the switch attempting to deliver the wireline call may transmit an advanced intelligent network terminating trigger, and the call is delivered to a landline phone or tandemed through to another switch. Outgoing calls are allowed to hunt across shared trunk groups rather than being limited to trunk groups specified for the application.